A Passing of the Torch

By Anne Hermann, Director,Volunteer Identification Program

Those of you who have followed this column for any length of time may recognize my name. For the last year or so I helped my mother, Felicia Goeken, to compose this column. For the past 16 years I have worked with my mother in the ultimate grassroots project - - the Volunteer Identification Program (VIP).

My family lost my mother Christmas Eve morning. Dave Andrusko, the editor of NRL News, has eulogized Felicia in his lead editorial on page two.

My mother was 73 years old. She leaves a husband, George, seven children, 33 grand-children, and 18 great-grandchildren. As Dave explained, her loss leaves a void in the right to life movement and a hole in our hearts.

At her funeral our priest talked about "passing the torch." I could never match my mother's contributions, either to the Movement or elsewhere. But I will do my best to honor her memory and advance the cause of unborn babies by helping to assure that the VIP continues its essential work of recruiting pro-life champions from around this great nation.

As you could perhaps tell from the way Felicia wrote her columns, she was a toast mistress. My mother knew how to make a point in a pithy, down-to-earth way. She was also great at inspiring people to call, write, or e-mail the VIP office in Alton, Illinois.

She inspired me as well. I grew up in the Movement. I cannot imagine doing something else. My mother was an activist well before she became involved in the Movement. She chose to devote her life to this cause because (as she taught me) it is that crucial to the United States and to the world.

I know from all these years of involvement that there are many, many people out there whose hearts are with us. You may be one of them. You may also be reading your first VIP column. You may be feeling a gentle tug at your heart.

Don't ignore it! As my mother would say, whether you are a newcomer to the Movement or an old veteran, it's never too soon or too late to jump in. We need every one of you.

The VIP is so effective both because it does not take up a lot of your time and because it does take advantage of the Right to Life Movement's greatest resource: people.

Won't you please fill out the coupon found on this page and send it to us? Better yet, why not call 1-618-465-3211?

Do so, not for Felicia, and not only for the babies. Join the VIP team because it will allow you to share your love and commitment in a way that will richly bless you. Honestly, once you become a part of the team, you'll wonder why it took so long.

Please contact us immediately. See you next month!

NRLC's Volunteer Identification Program (VIP) is a telephone survey conducted in all 50 states with the cooperation of NRLC's state affiliates.The survey is done either from home or from phone banks. VIP volunteers are the primary strength of the project. Identified pro-life people are then enlisted at the local and state levels to strengthen their organizational efforts.